Pilates, It’s In The Blood

I have come to the conclusion that Pilates is in the blood. I have successfully passed on the Pilates gene to my almost 2 year old son! He regularly explores the equipment I have. Yesterday he pulled out and unrolled my mat all on his own. I have a few different sized balls and he also plays with those constantly. You can even ask him to show you his work out. Or ask him to stretch. He has different responses and actions for both of those.

I do take him to both Gymnastics and swim classes. And I talk about Pilates to him. I never tell him he cannot explore my workout stuff. Except the weights, for obvious safety reasons. I love to foster his exploration, creativity, and discovery. My fitness stuff is absolutely no exception! When he has a hard time rolling up from laying down to sitting I have gone over the explanation of how to engage his core. If I tell him to pull his belly button to his spine he says “spine!”  He also says Pilates. It puts a big smile on my face. I have a feeling he will be teaching his preschool classmates how to engage their cores.

Helping me give my mom a mat session

I did not ask him to come on over and help out. He watched what I was doing and then jumped in to do similar things. He is very helpful and encouraging. He has an empathetic side, he makes a great instructor!

At gymnastics

I know this is not quite Pilates, but it is physical, it is a sport, and he truly loves this class. He gets so excited to go and usually he does not want to leave. They have him doing all sorts of gymnastics things. Each week it is different. Anyway I can encourage him to have a love of movement makes me happy.

One of his stretches

Go ahead, ask him to stretch his legs wide. This is the response you will get. With a big smile too. He will also say “streeeeeeeeehhhhtch” He is better about stretching than I am sometimes. Sometimes he stops what he is doing and tells me to stretch, while he also stretches. See, he is already a mindful instructor.

booty barre?

This is my husband’s dip station. Jack uses it as his barre of sorts. He does all sorts of “workouts” here. He will show you a whole class if he is by it and you ask him to show you his workout. He has a pretty good lunge form, especially for a 22 month old!

walk your hands to your feet

The child naturally has excellent form. He probably looks better doing this than I do. My hammys are usually tight, even if I try to open them. All that running I used to do! Like I said, I need my personal instructor around to remind me to get my stretching in.

teaser prep?

Teaser is an advanced and tough move, especially with your legs in the air! We are working on his shelf position, but he gets major credit for even wanting to try it this way!

leg circles

Ah the dreaded leg circles, for me at least. Again, tight everything in my legs from all that running. I am working it out slowly, now that I have quit being a runner. Eventually I know this move will get easier for me. For Jack, though, it is simple. Notice how he is prepping by giving that leg pointing to the ceiling a little stretch first. Also his chubby toddler toes are the cutest toes I have ever seen in Pilates!

A little ball work

This was yesterday. He pulled this out on his own and started doing some balance work. He couldn’t get enough of it. I stored my big ball in the dip station. He also requested that I take that down for him. He said big ball? Pilates is expanding his vocabulary and understanding of the spatial world. Joseph would  be proud!

I have to point out that every single one of these photos, I captured on the fly. He chose to do these things and I grabbed my phone to make sure I captured these memories. I did not ask him to do even one of these positions, moves, or stretches. They have also all been taken over the last 2 or 3 months. It is in the blood, I am telling you.

It makes me happy as a fitness momma that what I do does not go unnoticed by my child. That I have inadvertently taught him to enjoy exercise, fitness, PILATES, and moving in general. I do come from an athletic family. Both of my brothers still play football/softball/etc in leagues and whatnot. I am thisclose to being a Pilates instructor, I was a hardcore runner, and all that jazz. As a matter of fact I went to see Twilight with my mom and both brothers a couple weekends ago. The 3 of us, her kids, all decided to race to the car after the movie. I lost. I had on my knit Ugg boots, which are not good for running. I felt like they were falling off. I am also nearly a foot shorter than both of them. My brothers also sprint like the jaguars. I would kill them long distance, but not in a sprint. But my point is, we are still athletic and competitive. My dad is in his late 50’s and he has still played on baseball leagues with other guys his age. As you saw, my mom lets me teach her Pilates. She is a big walker as well. So is it any surprise that Jack has a natural knack for the fitness world? Probably not. I still feel like I am doing something right. Especially in today’s America, where childhood obesity has become an epidemic of sorts. Getting my child up and moving won’t be as difficult, because he has this base enjoyment of these things. In a world of blogging, video games, Facebook, 700 tv channels, and funny cat videos/memes, it is easy to sit on the couch for hours on end. Sadly, I have done it. I did it a lot while pregnant. In fact, I am doing it now, writing this post. Sometimes sitting just feels nice. But counter balancing it with movement is important.

How do you get your children up and moving? Do your kids naturally like physical activity like Jack does? Are you a fit parent who has shared the joy with your family? How have you done it?